Parental encouragement, protection, and advocacy for Mexican-American children with chronic conditions

Families face great challenges in caring for a child with a chronic condition, yet little is known about intrafamilial relationships, especially among Mexican Americans. An interpretive study, using symbolic interaction, with 25 adult informants, representing 19 mostly Mexican-American families, is reported. Findings include description of the process, “Keeping My Child Close to Me,” by which parents, particularly mothers, provided protection, encouragement, and advocacy for their chronically ill child. Families were close and willing to jointly sacrifice to meet their special needs; however, some strains resulted from differences in perceptions between spouses and lack of attention to siblings during times of focus on the child with a chronic condition.

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